and true moderation, which creates an indifference to little things, and a wife and well-proportioned zeal for things of importance, can proceed from nothing but true knowledge, which has its foundation in felf-acquaintance.

VI.

CHAP. VI.

Self-Knowledge improves the Judgment.

ANOTHER great advantage of being

well acquainted with ourselves is, that it helps us to form a better judgment of other things.

Self-knowledge indeed does not enlarge or increase our natural capacities, but it guides and regulates them; leads us to the right use and application of them; and removes a great many things which obftruct their due exercife; as pride, prejudice, and paffion, &c. which oftentimes fo miferably pervert the rational powers.

He that hath taken a juft measure of himself, is thereby better able to judge of other things.

(1.) He knows how to judge of men and human nature better;-for human nature, fetting afide the " difference of natural genius, and the improvements of education and religion, is pretty much the fame in all. There are the fame paffions and appetites, the fame natural infirmities and inclinations in all mankind; though fome are more predominant and distinguishable

distinguishable in fome than they are in others. So that, if a man be but well acquainted with his own, this, together with a very little observation on human life, will foon difcover to him thofe of other men; and shew him very impartially their particular failings and excellencies, and help him to form a much truer fentiment of them than if he were to judge only by their exterior, the appearance they make in the eye of the world, or the character given of them by others; both which are often, very fallacious.

(2.) Self-knowledge will teach us to judge rightly of facts as well as men. It will exhibit things to the mind in a proper light, and true colours, without those false gloffes and appearances which fancy throws upon them, or in which the imagination often paints them. It will teach us to judge not with the imagination, but with the understanding; and will fet a guard upon the former, which so often reprefents things in wrong views, and gives the mind falfe impreffions. See Part I. Chap. IV.

(3.) It helps us to estimate the true value of all worldly good things. It rectifies our notions of them, and leflens that enormous esteem we are apt to have for them. For when a man knows himself, and his true interefts, he will fee how far, and in what degree, thefe things are fuitable to him, and fubfervient to his good and how far they are unfuitable,

fuitable, infuaring, and pernicious. This, and not the common opinion of the world, will be his rule of judgment concerning them. By this he will fee quite through them; fee what they really are at bottom; and how far a wife man ought to defire them. The reason why men value them so extravagantly is, because, they take but a fuperficial view of them, and only look upon their out-fide, where they are moft fhowy and inviting. Were they to look within them, confider their intrinfic worth, their ordinary effects, their tendency and their end, they would not be fo apt to over-value them. And a man that has learned to fee through himself, can eafily fee through these (p).

CHA P. VII.

Self-Knowledge directs to the proper Exercife of Self

VII.

A

himself.

Denial.

MAN that knows himself beft, knows

how, and wherein, he ought to deny

The

(p) Abftrahunt a recto divitiæ, honores, potentia, et cetera quæ opinione noftra chara funt, precio fuo vilia. Nefcimus æftimare res; de quibus, non cum fama fed cum rerum natura, deliberandum eft. Nihil habent ifta magnificum, quo mentes in fe noftras trahant, præter hoc quod mirari illa confuevimus. Non, enim quia concupifcenda funt, laudantur, fed concupifcuntur quia laudata funt. Sen. Epift. 82.Riches, honours, power, and the like, which owe all their worth to our falfe opinion of them, are too apt to draw the heart from virtue. We know not how to prize them; they are not to be judged of by the common vogue, but by their

own

The great duty of felf-denial, which our Saviour fo exprefsly requires of all his followers, (plain and neceffary as it is) has been much mistaken and abused; and that not only by the church of Rome, in their doctrines of penance, fafts, and pilgrimages, but by fome proteftant chriftians, in the inftances of voluntary abstinence and unnecessary austerities : whence they are fometimes apt to be too cenforious against those who indulge themselves in the use of those indifferent things, which they make it a point of confcience to abftain from. Whereas, would they confine their exercise of self-denial to the plain and important points of christian practice, devoutly performing the neceffary duties they are most averse to, and resolutely avoiding the known fins they are most inclined to, under the direction of scripture, they would foon become more folid, judicious, and exemplary christians; and did they know themselves, they would easily fee that herein there is occafion and scope enough for self-denial ; and that to a degree of greater severity and difficulty than there is in thofe little corporal abftinences and mortifications they enjoin themselves.

(1) Self-knowledge will direct us to the necef

own nature. They have nothing to attract our esteem, but that we are used to admire them; they are not cried up because they are things that ought to be desired, but they are defired because they are generally cried up.

fary

fary exercises of felf-denial, with regard to the duties our tempers are most averse to.

There is no one but, at fome times, finds a great backwardness and indifpofition to fome duties. which he knows to be feasonable and necessary. This then is a proper occafion for self-discipline. For to indulge this indifpofition is very dangerous, and leads to an habitual neglect of known duty; and to refift and oppofe it, and to prepare for a diligent and faithful discharge of the duty, notwithftanding the many pleas and excufes that carnalį difpofition may urge for the neglect of it, this requires no small pains and self-denial; and yet it is very neceffary to the peace of conscience.

As for our encouragement to this piece of felfdenial, we need only remember that the difficulty of the duty, and our unfitness for it, will, upon the trial, be found to be much less than we apprehended. And the pleasure of reflecting, that we have discharged our confciences, and given a fresh testimony of our uprightness, will more than compenfate the pains and difficulty we found therein. And the oftener thefe criminal propenfions to the wilful neglect of duty are opposed and conquered, the feldomer will they return, or the weaker will they grow till at last, by divine grace, they will be wholly overcome; and in the room of them will fucceed an habitual readiness to every good

:

work,